From betrayal to bonhomie: Sena (UBT)-Congress tie-up delivers Parbhani Mayor, BJP cries ‘Muslim Mayor’

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Iqbal Syed was elected as the Mayor of the Parbhani City Municipal Corporation — a political development that gave an opportunity to the BJP to sharpen the attack on former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

With the Congress party’s support, Syed defeated BJP’s Tirumala Khillare.

Congress corporator Ganesh Deshmukh was elected the Deputy Mayor of Parbhani.

In the 65-member PCMC, the Shiv Sena (UBT) emerged the single largest party winning 25 seats while the Congress bagged 12, both totalling 37.r Besides, the alliance received support from an independent and a NCP corporator, easily winning the Mayoral poll.

The Parbhani win for the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies came days after the debacle in Chandrapur where the BJP managed to take support of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and win the Mayoral polls.

Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Parbhani MP Sanjay Jadhav was the architect of the victory.

“I had earlier said the next Mayor of Parbhani will be from our party. Whatever happened in Chandrapur was limited to that city. We had a pre-poll alliance (with Congress) here (in Parbhani). We stayed together and also received support from an independent and an NCP corporator. We have given the first Mayor from our party,” said Jadhav.

State Congress president Harshavardhan Sapkal said: “The Shiv Sena (UBT) did not uphold the spirit of the alliance in Chandrapur, where it supported the BJP. However, the Congress kept its word in the Parbhani mayoral election. In Parbhani, Shiv Sena (UBT) secured the Mayor’s post while Congress secured the Deputy Mayor’s post. To keep the BJP out of power and in support of the INDIA alliance, the MVA, democracy, and the Constitution all 12 Congress corporators voted for Shiv Sena (UBT).”

Sapkal further said that the Congress does not believe in harbouring resentment or seeking revenge over the stand taken by Shiv Sena (UBT) in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation. “Despite having eight corporators in Chandrapur, Shiv Sena (UBT) voted for the BJP, which was politically wrong. Supporting such a move at the party level and attempting to malign the Congress amounts to “a thief crying foul,” he said.

Sapkal added that Congress leaders had held discussions with MP Sanjay Raut regarding Chandrapur and were in constant touch with Shiv Sena (UBT). Despite this, the statements made by Sanjay Raut and members of his party were inappropriate and not in keeping with alliance norms.

He also pointed out that the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi is a friendly party of the Congress. When two of its corporators remained absent, the party expelled them and also took action against its city president. However, Shiv Sena (UBT) has taken no action and instead defended its stand, something the Congress will not tolerate.

The BJP hit out at Thackeray for giving a “Muslim Mayor” in Parbhani.